What I Learned From Junior and Senior

Yesterday was Father's Day, but I decided to take some extra time to write anything about the men who are featured most prominently in my life- my father and my grandfather. Like me, they are named Richard Wilkins, and like me, they grew up in the Easton-Phillipsburg area. Beyond that, we're all kind of different in our own ways. We look similar (whether that's good or bad is on you), maybe sound similar, and have similar backgrounds. Beyond that, we're all rather unique.

My grandfather taught me a lot of things. Loyalty, service, and commitment to his community all were traits of his. His life was in many ways routine by the time I knew him- church on Sundays, Phillipsburg games on Fridays, and even his meals were pretty much routine. He was loyal to those in life, especially me it seemed, and stuck by me through everything. His life of stability is probably something I can never quite match. I'm not sure I can match the service he displayed either, whether it was to the Navy, his community, or his church. I will certainly try though. His sense of loyalty to us all is probably why I still miss him on the regular. It's hard to trust people, but with my grandfather, it was easy.

Then there's my dad. We're similar in a lot of ways, from our musical tastes to our sports teams. The thing that stands out most obvious about him is his ability to have fun. The guy just enjoys life. He's 59 years old, still works, and yet has time for baseball games and his bands. He figures out a way to enjoy things. Now, it's worth noting that he has faced some serious challenges in his adult life, and yet still has found a way to laugh and enjoy things. His fun-loving nature and his ability to solider-on through the challenges stand out to me. I definitely try to emulate them. I don't really succeed as well though.

We all have flaws, and they both have their's. I have mine. I have seen the good traits in them though, and tried to copy them. I think my success is a mixed bag. I just wanted to share a few words on them for you, in light of this past weekend's holiday, and give you an image of the people I come from.